In the paper we study flapping wave structures, generated in the neutral plane of the Earth magnetotail. Investigated flapping is an important process of magnetosphere dynamics, connected with magnetic energy transformation and magnetic storm formation. Large separation of Cluster spacecraft allows us to estimate both local and global properties of flapping current sheets, the typical flapping times and propagation directions.

Adaptive magnetospheric models based on THEMIS magnetic observations made at 6-9Re in the nightside magnetosphere are used to map the magnetically conjugate 30 and 80keV proton isotropy boundaries (IBs) to investigate the value of Kib=Rc/rc (magnetic curvature radius to particle gyroradius) in the neutral sheet at the IB generation place. For the most accurate mapping, the group Kib spread spans from 4 to 32; its median value is ~13, slightly larger than Kib8 expected for current sheet scatter.

Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous process that drives global-scale dynamics in plasmas. For reconnection to proceed, both ion and electrons must be unfrozen in a localized diffusion region. By analyzing in situ measurements, we show that the non-gyrotropic ion pressure is mainly responsible for breaking the ion frozen-in condition in reconnection. The reported non-gyrotropic ion pressure tensor can specify the reconnection electric field that controls how quickly reconnection proceeds.

In this study we use two-loop model SCW (SCW2L) to quantitatively investigate distortion of the ionospheric footpoint pattern in response to changes of different SCW2L parameters. Calculation results show that SCW-related footprint shifts result in formation of auroral bulge and westward travelling surge and may contribute to rotation of auroral streamers, and that SCW2L combined with the AM03 model nicely describes the azimuthal progression and the observed magnitude of the auroral expansion.